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Vote to Buy a new CNC Plasma Machine (view source)
Revision as of 19:04, 16 January 2022
, 19:04, 16 January 2022→Background
===Member Expectations===
===Member Expectations===
The existing machine was built by members and it's to their great credit that the machine, as was initially delivered, worked at all. As it stands, the machine was always more difficult to use for a member who just wants to cut their parts and has minimal troubleshooting skills; PS1 members want to use the machine to cut their parts, not participate in a CNC science fair experiment.
The existing machine was built by members and it's to their great credit that the machine, as was initially delivered, worked at all. As it stands, the machine was always more difficult to use for a member who just wants to cut their parts and has minimal troubleshooting skills; PS1 members want to use the machine to cut their parts, not participate in a CNC science fair experiment.
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PS1 members have come to expect tools to work; its history may be one of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ when it comes to whether anything is operational, but this does a disservice to both the numerous volunteers who struggle to keep the equipment up and running, and the members who joined to work on their own projects and who may not have the time or inclination to learn the intricacies of stepper motors and torch height controller programming.
===Wait, why not just fix the existing machine? It'd be cheaper, right?===
This is one of those examples of "penny-wise, pound-foolish". The 2022 Hot Metal budget would take a huge hit paying for all this, which would directly impact being able to pay for other things, like welder repairs, supplies, etc. As it stands, the 2021 year ended with only $60 left in the Hot Metals budget. Yes, we can replace all the electronics, weld cross-bracing to the table, fix all the broken parts, and perform the ''massive'' deep-clean the machine requires. At the end of the day, if all went well, we'd still have a homemade, artisanal CNC machine that has no documentation other than a wiki page that many aren't even aware exists.
=== Have a Particular Machine in Mind? ===
=== Have a Particular Machine in Mind? ===
Yes, the ([https://tormach.com/machines/plasma-tables.html Tormach 1300PL]).
====Wait, why this machine?====
====Wait, why this machine?====
=== Why Should We Get This? ===
=== Why Should We Get This? ===
== Language ==
== Language ==
We authorize the board to spend up to $$$$$ accessories.
We authorize the board to spend up to $$$$$ accessories.